Baled hay loading machine



Jima., 24:, W@ W. D. VAUGHN ETAL 2,495,647

BALED HAY LOADING MACHINE Filed May 7., 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Jam, 24, W@ w. D. VAUGHN ET AL BALED HAY LOADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1946 INVENTOR.

an. 24, ll@ w. D. VAUGHN ETAL BALED HAY LOADING MACHINE 3 sheets-s1;

eet 3 Filed May 7, 1946 Patented jan., 24, 195.6

cfs-Flor.

cruzan' naf rioAnINGiMAcHINE-r Wsley'DLVaughn and Thomas@.UVaughn;l Vernon, Tex.

ApplcatonMayT, 1946, SeriaINo; 6672852 2 claims. 1:

Thisinvention relates to baled hayl loading de.-

vices` and more particularly to such-1 devicesof: 2,-- mechanical nature capable of moving or lifting` hay in bales to a position from which it maybe` lift thebalesfrom the ground to a positionzupon a conveyance 0r within the reach of'. another workman using asimilar hook. The embodiment.

ci this invention eliminates. the initial. manual displacement of baledlhay; placing it within easy reachof a workman for. loading.

Another object oi the invention is to provide means for engagement and disengagement of the driving mechanism connecting. with. the continuous chain used in moving the hay in b'ales from the ground to an elevated platform.

Still anotherobjectofv the inventionis to provide means for attachment of the inventionY in. parallel alignment with a conveyance for move.- ment in unison therewith.

With the foregoing objects. as paramount, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment, which will become ap.- parent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a machine used in loading hay in bales upon a truck or other means of transportation constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of al continuous chain to illustrate the relative position of the perpendicularly extending lugs placed at predetermined intervals to engage hay in bales to move said hay upward along a chute provided therefor.

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the invention, shown partially in section, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view oi the rear portion of the invention to illustrate the means provided for engagement and disengagement of the continuous hay displacing means.

Gontinuing-'withl a more detaileddescriptionof the dra-wings, it'willbe noted thatthe rear por.- tionoff the machine is-:supportedupon pneumatic tires Iilmounted on'whee'l- II whichy are: in turn. mounted on anaxlei |21 enclosed in4 aY housing'. member I3; A-pair ofitubular clamping members- Iii;- are aflixed adjacent theendsrof the housing member |35 and are capable oi` slidable adjust.- ment vertically uponcon'centric supporting members I5? for mutuall bearing engagement between.V one oithe tires I--an'dalsimilar tire. I5 ofA smaller diameter mountedon a' wheel I'i and axle I8.af xed to slidable tubular members; I9 on thesupporting members |52y Displacement of the tire.

f Iii-Iier eng-agement with :the tirezl Il isiaccomplished` by means of a lever zii-secured inthe position. in dicated; in Figure 6. Similarly., disengagement is achieved by displacementand securement of the. lever Zll in the1position-shownlin Figure 2.andin.-

- dicatedf bydash lineslinfFigure 6; The lever 2i] is pivotedl on; a shaft;v ZI. and is;connectedi with. the axle ISI by: meansof a rodi 22 acting upon a. plate 23iaixe'd subjacentfA the axle I8.` A horizontal' locking arrn'.2lliisl aiiixed torthe supporting.

^ member I5-and hasalaterally'extending protubierance capable-of :retaining the. lever 20 rigidly in position. Arigidarm. 25 isafxed to andex:- tendsfangularly downward from an;elevated1plat formZ-and has two laterally extending platesJon itsflower end, between which is received and retained the lever. 2Bwlflen'thelatter is raised toY correspondingly lower thev.fheel I6 into engagement with wheel I0 tov operate theA incline conveyor chain to be presently described.

The platform 26 is supported upon a frame 21 constructed of angle iron affixed to the supporting members I5. Angular braces 28' extend from the rear of the frame 21 to a point of rigid attachment near the lower end of the supporting members I5 and serve to maintain the elevated platform 26 securely in its horizontal position.

The side members of the frame 21 extend past the supporting members I5 to a point of juncture and attachment with an inclined chute frame 28. In like manner a horizontal member 29 extends horizontally from the supporting members I 5 near their lower ends to the frame 28 near the front of the machine. A similar horizontal member S is aflixed to the frame 28 and a supporting member I5, as shown in Figure 6, and serves as a mounting for an idler sprocket Wheel 3l which engages a chain 32. The wheel I1 has a sprocket wheel affixed thereon to engage the chain 32 for the purpose of transmitting rotation of the wheel Il to a sprocket wheel 33 mounted on an axle 34, an

3 operation which will be more fully described hereinafter.

To the frame 28 is axed a plurality of lateral members 35 which maintain said frame 28 in parallelism and serve to support a series of spaced flat members 36 in alignment with the frame 28 forming the bed of an inclined chute. The lower end of the frame 28 is supported upon a pair of ground engaging skids 3'! while a pair of outwardly curving side rails 38 serve to guide the baled hay onto the lower end of the chute as the machine is moved forward. A xed arm 39 extends laterally from a supporting member I and is adapted for attachment to a truck or other conveyance to provide means for moving the machine in unison with said conveyance.

A detachable-link conveyor chain 40, shown in detail in Figure 4, forms means for moving baled hay up the chute, a series of lugs H being affixed at predetermined intervals along the continuous chain 40 to securely engage individual bales as the machine is moved forward in the process of loading. The chain 40 is operated by a sprocket 42 mounted on the axle 34 which is actuated by the rotational movement of the sprocket 32. Standard bearings 43 support the axle 34. A sprocket i4 mounted on a shaft 135, laterally disposed at the lower end of the chute formed by the frame 28 and its component members, supports the chain 46 in its operating position. A superstructure 46 integrally affixed at the frame 2'1 forms a partial enclosure for the platform 26.

In operation as a baled hay loader the machine is attached by means of the fixed arm 39 to a wagon, truck, or other conveyance and moves in unison with said conveyance. As the machine moves forward the bales of hay lying on the ground are guided into engagement with the lugs 4l on the chain 40 by the outwardly curving side rails 38. rThe lever 29 is locked in the position illustrated in Figure 6 thus placing the tire I6 into firm engagement with the tire i6 thereby causing the chain 32 to transmit rotational motion to the axle 34 and the sprocket 42, which action in turn actuates the continuous chain 40. As the chain 40 moves upward along the chute the lugs 4I engage a bale and convey it to the elevated platform 26. In position upon the platform 26, the bale is within easy reach of a workman on the deck of the conveyance, or a workman may stand upon the platform 26 and lift the bale across to the conveyance to be stacked in place by another workman.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification, and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A baled hay loading machine including a frame having wheels and provided with parallel uprights at the rear thereof, a platform supported by said uprights, an inclined endless conveyor for elevating bales of hay onto said platform, a collar slidable on each of said uprights, a shaft whose ends are journaled in bearings carried by said collars and movable therewith, a wheel mounted on one end of said shaft for movement into and outl of engagement with the tread of a wheel of said frame, a pivoted lever for raising and lowering said shaft to move the wheel thereon into and out of engagement with said frame wheel and means providing operative connection between said rst wheel and said conveyor for actuating the latter when said wheels are in engagement.

2. A baled hay loading machine including a wheeled frame, a pair of uprights on said frame, a platform supported by said uprights, means for elevating baled hay from the ground onto said platform, a collar slidably mounted on each of said uprights, a shaft supported at its ends by said collars, a wheel mounted on said shaft, a lever for raising and lowering said shaft to move said wheel into and out of frictional engagement with the tread of one of the wheels of said frame and means for transmitting motion from said rst wheel to said elevating means when said wheels are in frictional engagement and while said machine is in motion.

WESLEY D. VAUGHN. THOMAS O. VAUGHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,096,910 McIntosh Oct. 26, 1937 2,174,605 Spencer Oct. 3, 1939 2,400,086 Hansen May 14, 1946 2,402,465 Templeton June 18, 1946 2,408,863 Lisota Oct. 8, 1946 

